Key words: academic integrity, breaches, student conduct

Procedure Owner: Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic

Responsible Officer: Deans

Review Date: 1 April 2023

Procedure: Managing Breaches of

Academic Integrity

(Students)

Effective: 1 April 2020

Audience: Staff and Students

Policy Category: Academic

Policy Sub-category: Student Conduct

and Responsibilities

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Contents

1 PURPOSE ................................................................................................................................................ 3

2 RELATED POLICIES AND REGULATIONS ................................................................................................. 3

3 LEVELS OF BREACHES ............................................................................................................................. 3

4 INVESTIGATING POSSIBLE BREACHES OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY BY STUDENTS ................................... 5

5 REPORTING BREACHES IN ACADEMIC INTEGRITY ................................................................................. 6

6 RELATED DOCUMENTS .......................................................................................................................... 6

7 DEFINITIONS .......................................................................................................................................... 6

8 PROCESS SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................. 7

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1 PURPOSE

1.1 This Procedure provides direction for staff investigating and managing allegations of breaches of Academic Integrity by students.

2 RELATED POLICIES AND REGULATIONS

2.1 This Procedure should be read in conjunction with the following documents: 2.1.1 Policy: Academic Integrity (Students) 2.1.2 General Regulations: Student Discipline

3 LEVELS OF BREACHES

3.1 The University classifies breaches of Academic Integrity in four levels. Each level takes into account the nature of the breach, and identifies a corresponding range of penalties and/or educational or remedial actions in order to prevent further breaches. Penalties for levels 2, 3 and 4 breaches are outlined in the General Regulations.

3.2 Sections 3.3 to 3.6 outline the decision making processes in determining the appropriate classification level, identifying the steps in decision-making and recording breaches of Academic Integrity. In all instances, it may be necessary to refer the student to the University’s Counselling Services and the Notre Dame Study Centre.

3.3 Level One Breaches 3.3.1 A Level one breach is conduct which would not be considered academic misconduct. 3.3.2 Level one breaches normally occur because of inexperience or lack of knowledge of the

principles and requirements of Academic Integrity, or arising from carelessness rather than a deliberate act of deception.

3.3.3 Examples of level one breaches include, but are not limited to: 3.3.3.1 Inadequate referencing; and/or 3.3.3.2 Inappropriate collaboration; and/or 3.3.3.3 Poor use of citations; and/or 3.3.3.4 Poor paraphrasing.

3.3.4 Level one breaches are generally restricted to students who are relatively new and inexperienced in academic practice. Actions to address breaches at this level should normally be dealt with by the Course Coordinator and have an educational focus designed to prevent further breaches by the student.

3.3.5 Processes for dealing with allegations at this level are: 3.3.5.1 Give the student an opportunity to discuss the error; 3.3.5.2 Provide documentation of the error and advise the student in writing of the

breach and subsequent action. 3.3.6 Actions to deal with level one breaches may include, but are not limited to:

3.3.6.1 Explanation and education about the importance of Academic Integrity; and/or 3.3.6.2 Requiring the student to access academic writing and referencing services

offered by the Notre Dame Study Centre; and/or 3.3.6.3 A formal verbal or written warning; and/or 3.3.6.4 An additional assessment task; and/or 3.3.6.5 Students may be required to correct the error and resubmit the correction;

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3.3.6.6 Where the work has been awarded a fail mark, a resubmission of the piece of assessment to which the breach relates can earn a maximum of 50 Pass Grade for this piece of assessment.

3.4 Level Two Breaches 3.4.1 Level two breaches are characterised by dishonesty or repeated level one breaches and

are considered academic misconduct. 3.4.2 Examples of level two breaches include, but are not limited to:

3.4.2.1 Significant plagiarism of ideas; word-for-word plagiarism, plagiarism of sources or authorship (such as by quoting directly or paraphrasing, to a moderate extent, without acknowledging the source or using data or interpretative material for a laboratory report without acknowledging the sources or the collaborators);

3.4.2.2 Self-plagiarism (submitting portions of work previously submitted). 3.4.3 Level two breaches are referred to the Dean of School, who may then delegate

responsibility for dealing with them to the School Disciplinary Committee for investigation.

3.4.4 Processes for dealing with allegations and penalties for level two breaches are outlined in the General Regulations: Student Discipline.

3.5 Level Three Breaches 3.5.1 Level three breaches include dishonesty that affects a major or essential portion of

work, or repeated level two breaches. Level three breaches are considered academic misconduct.

3.5.2 Examples of level three breaches include, but are not limited to: 3.5.2.1 Self-plagiarism (submitting the same work previously submitted); 3.5.2.2 Cheating in an assessment or examination; 3.5.2.3 Acting to facilitate copying during an examination; 3.5.2.4 Using impermissible materials during an examination; 3.5.2.5 Collaborating before an examination to develop methods of exchanging

information and implementation thereof; 3.5.2.6 Fabrication and/or fraudulent and/or inappropriate use of data; 3.5.2.7 Instances of breach of Academic Integrity in postgraduate work which is likely

the result of a poor understanding of Academic Integrity, rather than dishonesty (including but not limited to coursework assessment, theses, dissertations, scholarly articles submitted to refereed journals);

3.5.2.8 Failure to declare or manage a conflict of interest; 3.5.2.9 Failure to follow research proposals – as approved by a research ethics

committee, particularly when this failure was avoidable and may result in unreasonable risk or harm to humans, animals or the environment;

3.5.2.10 Failure to obtain requisite ethics clearance – before research, or a significant step in the research is undertaken.

3.5.3 Level three breaches are referred by the Dean to the University Disciplinary Committee. 3.5.4 Processes for dealing with allegations and penalties for level three breaches are outlined

in General Regulations: Student Discipline. 3.6 Level Four Breaches

3.6.1 Level four breaches represent the most serious breach of Academic Integrity and are considered academic misconduct.

3.6.2 Examples of level four breaches include, but are not limited to:

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3.6.2.1 Any Academic Integrity breaches committed after return from suspension for a previous breach of Academic Integrity;

3.6.2.2 Breach of Academic Integrity in postgraduate or research higher degrees characterised by dishonesty (such as in theses, dissertations, or by scholarly articles submitted to refereed journals);

3.6.2.3 Breach of Academic Integrity involving or resembling criminal activity (such as stealing an examination from a lecturer or from a University office; buying an examination or assessment; impersonation, contract cheating, falsifying a transcript; or acquiring or distributing an examination from unauthorised sources prior to the examination);

3.6.2.4 Wilful concealment or facilitation of academic misconduct by others. 3.6.3 Instances of level four breaches are referred by the Dean to the University Disciplinary

Committee. 3.6.4 Processes for dealing with allegations and penalties for level four breaches are outlined

in General Regulations: Student Discipline.

4 INVESTIGATING POSSIBLE BREACHES OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY BY STUDENTS

4.1 All suspected breaches of Academic Integrity should be dealt with following the process set out in this Procedure and the University’s General Regulations.

4.2 Where a breach of Academic Integrity considered to be Level one is investigated within the School, it is important that the breach is investigated using a process that: 4.2.1 Deals with possible breaches as promptly as possible; 4.2.2 Demonstrates procedural fairness; 4.2.3 Is delegated to the appropriate levels of responsibility within the University in

accordance with this Procedure; 4.2.4 Provides the student with sufficient details of the allegation to enable the student to

understand and properly consider the allegation; 4.2.5 Provides the student with the opportunity to appear before the decision maker to

answer the allegation. 4.3 All investigations of an allegation of breach of Academic Integrity should begin with a review of

records to establish whether the student has committed a previous breach. Investigations should also take into account: 4.3.1 Whether the student is a relatively new and inexperienced in academic writing; 4.3.2 The nature and extent of the breach relative to the AQF level of the course concerned

and its assessment requirements; 4.3.3 Whether the breach involved a deliberate act of deception or cheating; 4.3.4 The extent to which the student has undertaken educative work; 4.3.5 Admissions by the student relating to the breach of Academic Integrity; 4.3.6 The extent to which the breach, if undetected, would have resulted in the student

gaining an unfair academic advantage; 4.3.7 The extent to which the breach could lead to legal proceedings such as in the case of

fraud or false representation1.

1 The investigation procedures draw from University of Sunshine Coast. Student Academic Integrity – Governing Policy. Downloaded April 1, 2020 from http://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures/student-Academic-Integrity-governing-policy.

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4.4 A formal report of the investigation should be prepared by the person making the allegation and be forwarded to the Dean, accompanied by relevant documentary evidence such as: 4.4.1 Copies of the student’s work, or copies of multiple student assessment in cases where

collusion or peer plagiarism are suspected; 4.4.2 The text-matching software report containing the student’s similarity score and

highlighted passages of text; 4.4.3 Notes regarding where the academic has found or suspects a breach of Academic

Integrity; 4.4.4 Suspected (if unidentified by text-matching software) sources for plagiarised content;

and 4.4.5 Witness statements.

5 REPORTING BREACHES IN ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

5.1 All breaches of Academic Integrity are formally recorded and retained, as per University policy. 5.1.1 Students should always receive formal written documentation of the breach (see the

template provided by the Appeals Office). 5.1.2 All breaches of Academic Integrity must be recorded and kept by Schools and on the

University’s Central Register. 5.1.3 Schools must send to the Student Appeals and Conduct Officer a copy of all findings of

breaches of Academic Integrity referred to the School Disciplinary Committee or to the University Disciplinary Committee or dealt with by the Dean.

5.1.4 Where it is deemed that a breach of Academic Integrity has occurred those involved will be advised in writing of the decision in accordance with the General Regulations: Student Discipline.

6 RELATED DOCUMENTS

6.1.1 Policy: Assessment in Coursework Courses 6.1.2 Policy: Code of Conduct for Research 6.1.3 Policy: Research Integrity 6.1.4 Policy: Student Appeals 6.1.5 Code of Conduct: Students

7 DEFINITIONS

7.1 For the purpose of this Procedure, the definitions outlined in the Policy: Academic Integrity

(Students) apply.

Version Date of approval Approved by Amendment 1 1 April 2020 Vice Chancellor,

following endorsement by Academic Council 20 February 2020

Effective date – new procedure.

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8 PROCESS SUMMARY

Process Step

Responsibility

Level one breaches (refer section 3.3) - Give student opportunity to discuss the error - Take into account process outlined at section 4 when

investigating breaches - Provide documentation of the error and advise the

Student in writing of the breach and subsequent action

Course Coordinator Course Coordinator

Level two breaches (refer section 3.4) - Refer to General Regulations: Student Discipline - for

processes to investigate and deal with allegations of level two breaches

- Take into account process outlined at section 4 when investigating breaches

Dean Dean

Level three breaches (refer section 3.5) - Refer to University Disciplinary Committee as per General

Regulations: Student Discipline

Dean

Level four breaches (refer section 3.6) - Refer to University Disciplinary Committee as per General

Regulations: Student Discipline

Dean

Record keeping - Breaches of Academic Integrity recorded and kept by

Schools - Send copy of all findings of Academic Misconduct breaches

of Academic Integrity referred to the School Disciplinary Committee or University Disciplinary Committee or dealt with by the Dean to the Student Conduct and Appeals Officer for recording on the University’s Central Register

Dean

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